


Flames

by Paperclippe



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: anchor, candle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 00:32:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5518829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paperclippe/pseuds/Paperclippe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Evelyn considers the Anchor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flames

Evelyn stared at the flickering light on her desk. It was late, and it was cold. The doors to her wide balcony were closed and shuttered tight, but there was still an inescapable chill in her bones. Reaching out, she held her left hand over the candle, the only light in her room. She felt the heat against her palm, saw the little curls of smoke twist and furl under hand and rise up through the spaces between her fingers. She felt the Anchor there, too, weird and hollow and heavy inside of her. What was this awful thing that had taken up residence within her skin? What was this thing that jabbed at her, that overpowered her, that caused her such pain? When the rifts were all closed, when Corypheus was gone, would it be? Or would it live on inside of her, ripping at her, tearing her apart inside?

But it didn’t always. It didn’t now. It lurked there, feigning harmlessness, but she knew what power lingered within. Every time she reached up to seal a rift, the power exploded from her, from this ancient Elven artifact, it surged up and through her and out of her hand like a thousand pieces of broken glass being pulled through her on tiny strings.

She lowered her hand down over the candle, letting the tip of the flame lick the flesh of her palm. She felt the pain, welcomed it, and for an instant she considered letting it bore through her, through to the Anchor so that she could reach inside of her skin and pull it out, toss it into the valleys below, and be done with it forever. Closing her eyes against the heat, she sucked in a hard, hollow breath and wrenched her hand away. The skin on her palm was red, angry, but otherwise unharmed.

Even if she had the fortitude to keep her hand there until the flames ate away at her skin, she could not. She still had to end this. She still had to stop Corypheus. Her hand would remain intact.

For now.


End file.
